* The Daily Herald takes a look at what happens after an inspector general’s investigation turns up alleged wrongdoing…

An investigation by the Illinois executive inspector general’s office determined that [John Grana], a 16-year Illinois Department of Transportation veteran from Roselle, solicited gifts from underlings at the agency’s Schaumburg service yard in exchange for better work assignments. It also found he misused his state email account by sending personal missives laced with sexually inappropriate and racially insensitive material. In the report, Grana denies many of the accusations.

Based on the report’s conclusions, Executive Inspector General Ricardo Meza suggested Grana could be fired from his $75,264-a-year highway maintenance supervisor job. And IDOT managers did suspend Grana without pay for 192 work days — nearly three-quarters of a work year — and ordered him to undergo ethics retraining. But a collective bargaining agreement protected him from losing his job.

State Sen. Ron Sandack told the paper that Gov. Pat Quinn ought to order his agencies to fire somebody when the Inspector General recommends it. But, as noted in the story, Grana was protected by his union contract, so his punishment had to be negotiated. And the IG himself isn’t insisting that his recommendations be followed to the letter…

Union officials defend the collective bargaining rules. They argue the process protects more good employees than it does bad ones. Meza isn’t holding a grudge against transportation department hierarchy who allowed Grana back despite the contents of his office’s scathing report.

“Frankly, as far as I’m concerned, once we’ve made a recommendation, that’s all it is, and I’m fine with that,” Meza, an Arlington Heights resident, said. “If we make a recommendation of termination and you don’t terminate, I’m not going to be upset. But if (that employee’s) name comes up again, we’re going to be sure to mention that we recommended that the employee be discharged.”

* I can understand why motorcyclists would want this law, but I can also see how this could easily cause a whole lot of confusion…

If a bill sitting on Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk gets signed soon, motorcyclists sitting at red lights that won’t turn green will be able to proceed as if at a stop sign — if no other cars are nearby or going through the intersection, of course.

Many of us have been at a red light that won’t turn green, but it’s far more likely for those on a motorcycle because the stoplight sensors can’t always tell a vehicle of that size is present. […]

[Traffic manager Tom Szabo of the Kane County Transportation Department] said the size and weight of some motorcycles makes it difficult to trigger the “loop detector” at intersections that change the signal.

“The detectors are embedded in the pavement and use magnetic fields to determine the presence of a vehicle,” Szabo said. “Some other intersections use video detection.” […]

Not particularly enamored with the thought of something that could cause accidents or allow people to ignore red lights, Geneva Police Cmdr. Julie Nash said she would be “stunned” if the bill is signed into law.

Some red lights are so long that you might think their weight sensors aren’t working. Here’s the actual language…

the driver of a motorcycle or bicycle, facing a steady red signal which fails to change to a green signal within a reasonable period of time because of a signal malfunction or because the signal has failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle or bicycle due to the vehicle’s size or weight, shall have the right to proceed, after yielding the right of way to oncoming traffic facing a green signal, subject to the rules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign

So, it’s up to the motorcyclist and, I assume, the cop to decide what is a “reasonable period of time”? Not confusing at all.

* It’s not really clear whether there are more of these couples or whether they’re more open about reporting themselves to the Census Bureau, but the numbers are the numbers…

The number of Illinois households run by same-sex couples has jumped nearly 42 percent in the last decade, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics released late Wednesday.

The trend in Illinois mirrors those nationwide, with experts and advocates saying a change in social attitudes toward gay couples and homosexuality in general is among the top reasons for the increase.

In 2010, there were 32,469 same-sex households in Illinois, up from 22,887 in 2000. The biggest jump was in female couples, a 53 percent increase compared with a 32 percent one for male couples. In 2000 there were more male couples -12,155 compared with 10,732 female. Last year there were 16,416 female couples compared with 16,053 male couples.

* OK, so we didn’t set a record, but it was still miserably hot and muggy last month…

The sweltering, deadly heat and non-stop heat warnings of last month led to the month making the record books as the sixth warmest July on record in Illinois.

The statewide average temperature for July was 80.1, according to Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist. That averages to 4.3 degrees above what’s normal for this time of year and ties with July 1955 as the sixth warmest July since records were kept since 1895.

The warmest July was recorded in 1936 when the average temperature for the month was 83.1. July 1901 came in second at 81.7 average and coming in as the third warmest July was in 1934 when the average temperate was 81.3.

It was the extended nighttime temperatures that pushed the state into the top 10 warmest list. Because of high humidity levels, the state was unable to cool off at night and broke 168 nighttime high-low records throughout the state, according to Angel. At the same time, only 28 daytime high temperature records were broken statewide.

Just imagine living here in the 1930s when those records were set. Ugh.